ZIM Vs AUS 3rd ODI: A special, special win for Zimbabwe at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, as they crushed the Aussies in the final ODI of the series. Historic win, since, this is the first time Zimbabwe has won an ODI against Australia in Australia. A huge achievement for Regis Chakabva’s lads and they walk back with an unforgettable win with 66 balls to spare. Although the hosts fought hard but it was always going to be tricky to defend a below-par target of just 142 runs in 50 overs.
Zimbabwe first came to Australia in 1992 and finally after 30 long years, they registered a win against the hosts on their soil. Zimbabwe has been on a spree of impressing us all. They first beat Bangladesh 2-1 in the ODIs at home by chasing down two big totals. Then recently Sikandar Raza’s century nearly took them over the line against India in the ODI series.
Match Summary:
Bowling first Zimbabwe gave a shock to Aaron Finch-led Australia. As they terminated the Australian innings on just 141. Although, David Warner tried to rescue his team with a beautiful knock of 94 off 96 balls. Another Aussie reached a milestone the same day, as David’s 94-run knock became the second-highest percentage of runs by a batter in a completed innings. But except for him and Glenn Maxwell, no other batter could get double-digit.
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The visitors outplayed the hosts with tight and disciplined bowling. As they were on song from the word go and had Australia reeling at 31/3 inside the first Powerplay. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and got bundled out at 141. It was Ryan Burl who caused the havoc with the ball and played a massive role in bowling out Australia. Burl received the Man of the Match award for his spectacular figures of 3-0-10-5.
However, while defending this meager target, Aussie bowlers gave a challenge to their opposition and managed to dismiss 7 wickets. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood’s grind was commendable. While Hazlewood extruded 3 out of the first 4 Zimbabwe batters, Starc got Ryan Burl dismissed. With this Mitchell Starc reached a milestone as he became the fastest bowler to reach 200 ODI wickets. But the Zimbabwe batters kept playing with grit and determination and eventually got over the line. Combating against world-class bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, Zimbabwe batters played with sheer bravery and hence won a historic match. This match will forever be etched in the memory of Zimbabwe cricket supporters.
Skippers’ Say on today’s ZIM Vs AUS:
In the post-match presentation, Australian Skipper, Aaron Finch stated,
“Zimbabwe bowled very well in the morning and we can’t take anything for granted in international cricket, you can get beaten on any given day. We had a chance with the ball but it wasn’t to be. Starc and Hazlewood are two of the best in the world, we have a fiery bowling attack. Warner keeps doing it with the bat.”
While Regis Chakabva had his say as well-
“Coming into the last game, there’s always the thought of going through the motions. But it was a brilliant morning from the bowlers, showed a lot of tight and to get them out for that total is testament to their fight. We head home now, some fitness for the first week and then training before we come back for the T20 World Cup.”
The Aussies though have won the series and the trophy had been handed out to Aaron Finch. Later, Adam Zampa was named the Player of the Series. However, after losing the first 2 ODIs in the series, Zimbabwe got their consolation win which will surely boost their confidence for the upcoming World Cup, which too will be held in Australia.
From Pleading for Decent Shoes to Astonishing Mighty Australia
Ryan Burl, the Man of the Match of the ZIM Vs AUS 3rd ODI, in May 2021, had had enough tinkering with his shoes. The soles had come off again. He put out a tweet, with a picture of his shoe, tagging a sports manufacturer and pleaded to get sponsorship to play international matches.
One year back, while he was pleading for sponsorship, today he got a remarkable five-wicket haul. These included the wicket of both David Warner as well as Glenn Maxwell, who were aiming to anchor the Australian innings. Burl walked off holding the ball aloft, barely able to believe what had just happened.
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